The present disclosure relates to containers and particularly, to plastic containers such as drinking cups. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to molded drink containers having image-carrying sheets and a method of manufacturing molded drink containers having image-carrying sheets.
Containers, such as drinking cups or tumblers, that are molded from plastic and that display images on the outer surfaces of the containers are known. Drinks are oftentimes sold in such containers at fast food restaurants, gas stations, movie theaters, and sports venues. Such containers may also be sold separately at retail outlets. The images carried by these containers sometimes promote movies, sports teams, athletes, entertainers, and the like. Image-carrying sheets of material, such as lenticular lens sheets which have optical properties that produce a 3-D effect, are also known and have been attached to containers in recent times to enhance the aesthetics of the containers. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,445.
Lenticular lens sheets are made of multiple layers of material and have been known to separate or fray, especially along the edges of the sheets, as a result of general wear and tear. Thus, lenticular lens sheets are sometimes embedded into their respective containers such that the edges of the sheets are surrounded and protected by the material from which the container is made in order to minimize separation or fraying of the layers of lenticular lens sheets around the edges. If a container is made of plastic, for example, molding the plastic material around the edges of the lenticular lens sheet achieves the desired result. However, in some conventional molding processes, such as injection molding, the lenticular lens sheets have been known to buckle within a mold cavity as a result of molten plastic being injected into the mold cavity. The containers disclosed herein are configured to minimize buckling of image-carrying sheets, such as lenticular lens sheets, during the associated manufacturing process.
According to the present disclosure, a molded container comprises a container wall defining an axis of the molded container and an image-carrying sheet molded into the container wall. The container wall has a top edge and a bottom edge. The molded container further comprises a radially extending disk having an outer periphery appended to the container wall between the top edge and the bottom edge of the container wall. The image-carrying sheet has a top edge above the disk and a bottom edge below the disk.
In one illustrative embodiment, the disk serves as a bottom wall of the molded container and cooperates with the container wall to define a drink-receiving space above the bottom wall. In other illustrative embodiments, the disk has a central opening and the drink container further comprises a bottom portion appended to the disk and extending downwardly from the disk. The bottom portion is formed to include a lower drink-receiving space and the portion of the container wall above the disk defines an upper drink-receiving space. The lower drink-receiving space is in fluid communication with the upper drink-receiving space through the central opening. Also according to this disclosure, one or more notches are formed in the lower edge of the container wall beneath the image-carrying sheet. In some embodiments, the image-carrying sheet comprises a sheet of lenticular lens material. A method of manufacturing the various illustrative molded containers is also disclosed.
Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode as presently perceived.